Who is Sebastian Hoeness? The 'next Klopp' taking the Bundesliga by storm

Tom Weber

• 13 Apr 2024 19:14 BST
• 6 min read

Sebastian Hoeness is one of Europe's brightest up-and-coming coaches.

Initially viewed as nothing but a nepotism baby, the nephew of infamous Bayern Munich legend Uli Hoeness has proved his detractors wrong and is firmly on course to lead VfB Stuttgart into the Champions League after saving them from relegation in 2022/23.

Hoeness' rise to prominence hasn't been linear, but he is now one of the best coaches in his country and will surely take over one of the big clubs in Germany or abroad sooner rather than later.

So, who is Sebastian Hoeness and how good is he really?

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What team does Hoeness manage?

Hoeness is in charge of Bundesliga side VfB Stuttgart and has been since April 3, 2023.

What formation does Hoeness play?

Hoeness generally favours a 4-2-3-1 formation, but he is very flexible depending on the opposition and has played a 4-4-2 and often switches to a back-three during games.

How good is Hoeness?

Sebastian Hoeness, as mentioned, is related to Bayern legend Uli Hoeness and the son of Dieter Hoeness, both of whom were brilliant players in their day. Sebastian, however, had a fairly uneventful career, mainly featuring for reserve and amateur sides. He retired from playing the game in his late 20s and instead focused on coaching.

After coaching RB Leipzig's youth teams, he was picked up by Bayern and was eventually tasked with overseeing Bayern II, the club's reserves. With Bayern II having just been promoted to the fully-professional 3. Liga, Hoeness faced a daunting challenge in his first role in senior football. Yet, Hoeness mastered this challenge with aplomb, leading Bayern, though somewhat controversially, to a surprising title and becoming the first and to this day only reserve side to win the division in 2019/20.

Hoeness was rewarded with a job in the Bundesliga, taking over at his former side Hoffenheim, while Bayern II were subsequently relegated after he departed. Following a mediocre first season in charge, Hoffenheim enjoyed a brilliant start to 21/22, but the team lost their way in the second half of the campaign and ended up in ninth. Hoeness and Hoffenheim parted ways at the end of the campaign.

After a year out of football, Hoeness took over at Bundesliga bottom dwellers Stuttgart on April 3, 2023. The 41-year-old steered them away from the automatic relegation places and into the play-off spot. After defeating fallen giants Hamburg over two legs, Stuttgart stayed up and they are now building something special.

Despite limited resources and constant power struggles in the club hierarchy, Hoeness has managed to create a system that gets the best out of the players at his disposal. Stuttgart play some of the most attractive football in the Bundesliga and all the talk would be about Hoeness and VfB if it weren't for Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen enjoying a historic campaign.

What makes Hoeness' team so impressive is the flexibility. "Hoenessball" is incredibly fluid, with full-backs Maximilian Mittelstadt, who is set to star at Euro 2024, and Josha Vagnoman either inverting to overload central areas or using the full width of the pitch depending on the situation. Hoeness very much employs a modern way of playing, with deep, patient build-up and dominance of the ball favoured over the chaotic pressing and attacking that the Bundesliga has become known for. Stuttgart's style has often been compared to that of Pep Guardiola's Man City.

Hoeness' flexibility is reminiscent of Julian Nagelsmann, while the German dresses like Jurgen Klopp and his team presses like a Klopp side. Intriguingly, during his time away from the game, Hoeness linked up with Roberto de Zerbi at Brighton to analyse the Italian's philosophy. The inspirations behind Hoeness' ideas are clear for all the see and his players have executed them to perfection in 2023/24.

Striker Serhou Guirassy has become one of Europe's most in-demand strikers, Deniz Undav has gone from Brighton flop to German international, Chris Fuhrich, a €2.5 million bargain, is being linked with a Premier League move and it is only a matter of time before France U21 international Enzo Millot will be targeted by English clubs. Stuttgart have been the Bundesliga's biggest surprise package this season are on course to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 09/10 season.

Hoeness is already an intriguing commodity, though he did recently extend his contract. According to his father and agent, this was a conscious choice as the Stuttgart boss was being considered by Bayern Munich. "We knew that he was on Bayern's list. But there were no talks. We decided very early on [to extend his contract] simply in order not to jeopardise the season and to avoid constant discussions and speculation," father Dieter told Sky.

In the future, however, Hoeness could be available, with his father hinting that there is a release clause in his new contract. "Coaches get sacked, players cannot be sacked. A coach should have the opportunity to end a cooperation if some parameters are not right. I think that's common practice these days."

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What trophies has Hoeness won?

Hoeness won the 3. Liga, the German third tier, with Bayern II in 2019/20.

Who has Hoeness managed previously?

Hoeness previously managed Bayern II and TSG Hoffenheim at the senior level.

How old is Hoeness?

Hoeness was born on May 12, 1982, making him 41 years old.